Tag: Six Flags

Making College Fun

Making College Fun

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Even with a lot of work to do, I still find time to do enjoyable activities. Studying is important, but having downtime is just as important. I don’t work well when I’m stressed because my mood and motivation go down and nothing gets done. Therefore, I’m going to write several of the things I’ve done thus far since school started and things I hope to do in the month of October do de-stressing and have some fun.

Things that I have done:

1. I went to a Cubs game. They lost 2-1, but the game was still worth it. My boyfriend and I sat four rows behind home plate, the weather was perfect and the game wasn’t boring. Even though I’m not a baseball fan, I had a great time because I completely focused on being at Wrigley Field with someone I love spending time with instead of thinking about work, classes, or actually getting stuff done. It was really nice to give my brain a night off and not have to think too much about the stressful aspects of my life.

2. I’ve gone out to dinner about once a week. Since school started, I have gone to Outback Steakhouse and Bakers Square, and discovered Five Roses out in Rosemont, Moretti’s in Edison Park, and Rogs in Schiller Park. These places are out of the way for most Loyola students, but there are many delicious places to go out to eat in the area. Some of my favorites are FoodLife in WaterTower Place, Elly’s near Lincoln Park, and Pete’s near the Granville Red Line.

 

Things I Look Forward to Doing:

  1. I’m going camping this weekend. I’m really excited because I’m going to Milwaukee, WI tomorrow with my boyfriend and some friends. I’ll be spending a lot of time fishing, sitting by a campfire, gazing at the stars and hopefully doing some hiking. Smores and tents, here I come!
  2. I hope to finally do a corn maze this year. I’ve never done one so I would love to finally make that happen.
  3. Go to Fright Fest at Six Flags and go to the haunted houses. I’ve never gone to the haunted houses at Six Flags and I would love to see if they scare me because thus far, the only haunted houses that terrified me were the ones I went to when I was 12.
  4. I’m going paint balling at the end of October. I went once when I was 13 and I had a lot of  fun so I can’t wait to go again after all this time.
  5. Potentially go to a pumpkin patch and carve pumpkins. The last time I carved a pumpkin, the nice word to describe what it looked like is interesting. This year, I want to try again and really make a pumpkin that can look worthy of sitting outside on the front porch for people to see.
Fright Fest

Fright Fest

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As my friends and I walked through the Centennial Forum Student Union (CSFU), we noticed a poster offering students tickets to the 2012 Six Flag’s Fright Fest. I walk through the CSFU countless times a day, usually in a rush and not paying any attention to all of the advertisements. Loyola often receives discounted student tickets to various events around the city.

It was the last night of Fright Fest, which meant that Six Flags would be closing soon for the winter. We got the tickets for $20, which included admission and transportation via school bus to Gurnee, Il.

We bundled up, had breakfast and met up around 9 a.m. to catch the bus. The weather was beautiful and we were ready for a fun filled day at Six Flags. It’s always nice to get off of campus for a day every once in a while.

The park was decked out with headstones, pumpkins and other various scary decorations. There were also designated “scare zones” where employees in costumes jumped out at guests. There was even a 10 minute long “Haunted Trail” that included zombies following you through a forest of electronic skeletons moving around in the bushes.

Aside from the Fright Fest events, we made the most of the array of rides and roller coasters. Because of the long lines, we were forced to pick the Raging Bull, Batman and Superman over the other coasters. We developed a system of reserving spots in line and taking turns to get food, go to the bathroom and do whatever else we needed to make the time go by faster.

Of course, we also ate way too much. Hot chocolate was a favorite of the day, along with Johnny Rockets hot dogs, Six Flag’s nachos and funnel cakes.

By the time the busses were ready to leave, we were beat, had sore feet and runny noses. After sleeping the whole way home, we finally arrived back at Loyola. I took a warm shower and got right to bed.

Saying I slept good that night would be an understatement, but it was a good sleep – the kind you get after a full, successful day. I attribute the day as one of my favorite this semester and I will definitely pay closer attention to the off-campus events in the future.

Starter Survival Tips

Starter Survival Tips

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Week one of the semester is over, and I’m about halfway through week two. This past weekend was Labor Day, and on Labor Day itself, I went to Six Flags. I definitely got a lot out of my season pass on Monday (and this summer), and now I’m just waiting for October to go to Fright Fest. I can’t wait!

Going back to the topic of my classes, school is going really well so far. Though the workload is very high overall, I’ve managed to stay on top of it. Even though it’s only been a week, I feel the most in control over my work and pace than I ever have before. Some useful tips that I’ve been using (even though they’ll be quite obvious) are:

1. Don’t procrastinate.

Every day when I come home, I start my homework right after eating. I get home at either about 4 or 6 every day, and I work till about 10 or 11. I try and do the homework I get assigned on the day that I get it so that I’m always a little ahead.

2. Switch subjects.

Studying one subject for 4 hours straight is annoying and by the end of it, I don’t feel accomplished. That’s why I usually switch between two or three subjects every hour or two. For example, last week I was reading my Accounting book. After an hour and a half, I hadn’t made drastic progress compared to when I began the subject, so I took a break to read Sociology. The result? I got my Sociology reading out of the way AND I cleared my head enough to continue with Accounting afterwards. Double win!

3. Take breaks and give yourself rewards.

While I study, I usually take a 5-minute break every hour or every time I begin feeling tired. If I’m feeling particularly energetic and focused, I won’t take a break until I’m done with what I’m doing, but in that case, I’ll treat myself to a TV show or to some ice cream afterwards. I feel more motivated when I do this, and therefore I get way more done.

4. Find your right time of the day to study and go to bed!

I’ve realized that my best time to study is after all of my classes are over and the sun is still out. When night hits, my concentration begins to fall; because I’m tired, my shows are starting to play, whatever other excuses I can come up with. Therefore, I start my homework once I get home while material is still fresh in my mind, natural light comes into my room and I still have my focus.

At night, I don’t let myself go to bed past 11:30 because I want to get at least eight hours of sleep. If I’m tired in the morning, I’ll be worse later in the day, and no one wants to deals with a crabby tired college student!

These are my most useful tips so far. If anyone has anymore, share them!!! We can all use more tips to survive this semester.